Dec. 6, 2007

NEW ORLEANS - Tulane volleyball coach Liz Kritza was named the 2007 AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year Thursday in a vote of the region's coaches. The 2007 Conference USA co-Coach of the Year, Kritza guided the Green Wave to a 28-6 overall record.

For the second-straight year, Tulane turned in its best-ever Conference USA finish and top Conference USA win total. The Green Wave improved upon last year's 11-5, third-place finish in 2006 to place second at 14-2.

"This coach of the year honor is a special recognition that I share with my staff and players," Kritza said. "This has been a very exciting season for us and I appreciate the recognition of our efforts and successes. Sinisa [Momic] is the epitome of a loyal and capable colleague who really brings an expertise that unique to the college game. I could not ask for a better counterpart. Meg [Henican] joined this program for her first season, but her impact is much greater. She is confident, positive, diligent, and capable; exactly the characteristics that any coach wants players to emulate."

In 2007, the Green Wave set school records for kills, kills per game, hitting percentage, assists, and assists per game. Tulane's assists per game were the most in Conference USA single-season history, an the Wave also set the C-USA mark for assists per game in conference games.

Five members of Tulane's squad earned All-Conference USA First or Second Team honors (Sara Radosevic, Bridget Wells, Ksenija Vlaskovic, Jenn Miller) while Jenn Miller was named C-USA Libero of the Year. A pair of players, Miller and Ashley Bernards earned Academic All-Conference accolades under Kritza in 2007.

After leading Tulane through the turbulent 2005 season amid Hurricane Katrina in her first year, the Tulane volleyball alum has posted a 43-17 record the last two seasons.